To the Editor:
Allowing buses to use the shoulder on crowded I-66 is smart. It is low cost, requires little or no additional construction, is unobtrusive and can be implemented quickly. According to a cooperative research study last year from the Transportation Research Board and Federal Transit Administration, “A Guide for Implementing Bus OnShoulder Systems,” it has been a success in the dozen or so communities around the country where it has been installed.
Beyond the obvious capacity and fuel saving benefits of opening an unused lane to commuter buses when traffic snarls, it also highlights public transit’s role in unclogging our region’s (and the nation’s) roadways.
A faster commute on the bus will attract more riders. More riders meanless cars on our roads, and fewer cars mean an easier ride for everyone.
Such logic extends to other transit projects in the region — the SilverLine, the Purple Line, streetcars, bus rapid transit, even bike share programs.
Some projects will advance. Others may not fit quite as well yet. Each time a bus on the shoulder breezes by traffic stuck on I-66, however, it will remind stalled drivers why the region needs reliableand extensive public transportation.
Michael Townes
Transit Market Sector Leader
HNTB Corporation
Arlington